Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail)
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692. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will re-examine the rules excluding robotic farmers for the proposed new TAMS farm equipment grant-aid (details supplied). [11065/23]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal, Fianna Fail)
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Through TAMS 3, I believe we have delivered a hugely exciting scheme that will deliver for farmers, for the entire agri-food sector and the wider rural economy over the next number of years. I have assigned €370m for TAMS between 2023 and 2027 with a strong focus on supporting this as well as subsequent generation of farmers.

There are, as the Deputy will be aware, exciting new developments for dairy farmers including higher grant aids of solar panels as well as a range of labour saving items.

TAMS 3 is a hugely exciting scheme with approximately 100 new investment items available to farm families compared to TAMS 2. There are now in the region of 300 investment items in TAMS 3.

I have introduced some changes to TAMS under TAMS 3 to continue to align it with overall agriculture and environmental priorities.

- For applications under the Dairy Equipment Capital Investment Scheme, Women Farmers Capital Investment Scheme and Organic Capital Investment Scheme, applicants may apply for up to 10 milking units in a herringbone parlour, or one robotic milking machine, if they have less than 120 cows on average over the year preceding the making of an application.

- For applicants under the Young Farmer Capital Investment Scheme (YFCIS) and also for registered farm partnerships involving a young farmer, the limit on cow numbers for the preceding year is set at 160 dairy cows. For those applicants under the YFCIS who have between 121 and 160 cows, there will be a requirement that they may not increase cow numbers for five years following payment of grant-aid on the milking machine.

- I can also confirm that the limit relates only to the milking machine investments and does not apply to any other investments under any of the 10 Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Schemes (TAMS 3) that are being put in place.

As part of the discussion with the Commission in relation to the CAP strategic plan, they sought that all investments must be focused on green investments, which are environmental, animal welfare and biodiversity related investments.

Additionally, Ireland’s SWOT Analysis and Needs Assessment for the CAP strategic plan identified the need to increase environmental efficiency in the agricultural sector through on farm investment and the adoption of new technologies; the need to support young farmers in accessing finance so they are in a better position to invest in and develop their farm enterprise; and the need to improve animal health and welfare, and farm safety on farms.

Furthermore, in our view this helps to ensure that TAMS 3 is better aligned with government priorities of delivering environmental public good outputs and is consistent with other policies that are trying to improve the sustainability of our dairy herd such as changes in Nitrates regulations.

Put in context of the overall investment list available to dairy farmers; it is important to acknowledge that a milking machine is only one item from a list extending more than 300 items.

In addition to the investments being carried over from TAMS II there is a wide range of additional investments being introduced for farmers, including farm roadways, bovine fencing, health and fertility monitoring systems, automatic drafting systems, public road underpasses and milk recording systems, to name just a few.

To this end, TAMS is designed to encourage farmers to invest in these animal welfare and environmentally beneficial investments before investing in additional milking equipment.